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Victoria

British Queen Lived: 1819 - 1901

Background:&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Victoria served as English monarch for 64 years - the longest reign in English history. She took the throne at 18, after the death of her uncle, King William IV. At 20 she married Prince Albert, to whom she bore nine children. The couple was very much in love and co-ruled for twenty years. She and Albert were quite interested in science, and in 1851 they inspired the hugely successful Great Exhibition in the Crystal Palace, the proceeds going to establish a number of public museums, including the Albert and Victoria museum which remains one of the world`s finest museums even today.

During the early years of her reign Victoria was a quite active monarch, and she won the hearts of her people with her modesty and practicality. It was during this period that she performed her greatest service to the British people: she oversaw the transition of the British throne to a constitutional monarchy.

When Albert died in 1861, Victoria was devastated. She went into permanent mourning, retiring from the day-to-day rule of her country and secluding herself on the Isle of Wight, where she was increasingly involved in somewhat dubious spiritual exploration. Her self-pity was legendary - a remarkable change from her youthful modesty and enthusiasm.

Victoria`s isolation and indifference to the management of her country left room for extremely talented prime ministers, such as Gladstone and Disraeli, to guide Great Britain into a golden age of prosperity and expansion. During this period the Empire came to dominate half of the world`s area and population - including India and much of the Orient, as well as large chunks of Africa, Asia, North America and a goodly portion of the Pacific islands.

Victoria believed that Great Britain had a mandate from heaven to bring the ignorant peoples of the world beneath the protection of the British flag. She felt that she personally had a duty to these untutored people, to educate and clothe them, and most importantly, to bring them to the church.

During her reign, Great Britain grew from a moderate European power into the second greatest empire the world has ever known (exceeded only by the Mongol empire of Genghis Khan), an Empire on which "the sun never set," far overshadowing Imperial Rome in size and might. The Diamond Jubilee, celebrating Victoria`s 60th year as monarch, dwarfed in pomp and majesty anything that a puny Caesar could have ever mustered.